Jane McGonigal shares how a video game helped pull her out of depression following an injury. Photo: James Duncan Davidson

The old and tired stereotype: a 20-something man sits on the couch in his parent’s basement, his shirt untucked and chin unshaven, as he excitedly pounds the buttons on a video game controller rather than getting a job. The obvious truth: video game enthusiasts are men and women, of all ages, and the grand majority of them are highly productive members of society. In fact, video games can actually help people grow — both socially and psychologically.

The TED Talk you’re about to watch probably seems like a pretty ordinary talk, maybe even a pretty good one, given the standing ovation at the end. But here’s the truth that almost no one knows: This talk, my talk, went down in TED history as the single biggest disaster to ever happen at TED.

That’s right. My TED Talk is officially the biggest disaster in TED history! And you know what? I couldn’t be prouder of that fact. I think it’s time to tell the true story behind “The Game That Can Give You 10 Extra Years of Life.”

I was halfway through delivering my TED Talk, trying to convince the audience that they would have fewer regrets on their deathbed if they spent more time playing Angry Birds. It sounds ridiculous, I know! But as I explain in the talk, people who spend more time playing video games actually have a wealth of psychological resources, like mental and emotional resilience, that can be used to tackle tough challenges in their real lives — with more creativity, determination, motivation and social support. Read the full essay »

Maggie Jackson: Let’s Not Forget That Beyond Gaming, There’s Life

We’d just begun a family vacation this summer, when my teenager woke up barely able to swallow, with a throat raw and sore. I took her to the nearest ER, where the wait was blessedly brief. A triage nurse whisked into the examining room with a laptop on wheels and began questioning my daughter. Name? Weight? Pain on a scale of 10? The nurse was efficient, yet something was missing. During a 10-minute checklist, she never once looked at the case — the bundle of humanity (and mystery) that is my daughter.

Was I expecting too much of this moment? Checklists in medicine can prevent infections. Taking 10,000 steps a day is now a global health movement. Shaking hands for six seconds boosts oxytocin, the “trust” hormone, Jane McGonigal recounts in her TED Talk on how simple game-based tricks can better our lives. Anything daunting or monumental — health, medical diagnosis, resilience — demands entry points. The lists and formulas and tips that we adore point our muddled selves in the right direction, making small but powerful changes possible. Now portable and automated, they can help the fragile roots of good habits take hold. Read the full essay »

Tom Chatfield: Can Video Games Alter Society … in a Good Way?

When I’m talking to people about why video games matter, I like to quote one of Woody Allen’s finest pieces of advice: “Eighty percent of life is showing up.” More than almost anything else, showing up matters. You can’t find your talent for football if you never touch a ball. You can’t make friends if you avoid other people. You can’t get the job if you don’t apply. You’ll never write that screenplay if you don’t start typing.

Games are about everyone showing up. In classrooms full of students who range from brilliant to sullen disaffection, it’s games — and often games alone — that I’ve seen engage every single person in the room. For some, the right kind of play can spell the difference between becoming part of something, and the lifelong feeling that they’re not meant to take part. Read the full essay »

Hypnosis is a source of both debate and fear. It’s an intimidating thought that the subconscious mind can listen and react to outside sources. But there are still many questions to be answered: Does the subconscious work independently of the conscious mind? Is it programmed by experiences or instructions? These are questions posed by Keith […]

Does listening to music generate colors in your mind? Do bright, lively songs sound yellow or orange while darker, more somber ones sound dark blue and grey? Well, for artist Neil Harbisson, this happens the other way around. Colorblind since birth, Harbisson has sported an electronic eye since 2004 that fits over the top of […]

Comments (6)

dangristcommented on Sep 10 2013

psarodecommented on Sep 8 2013

Reblogged this on [C2P] Kids and commented:
I have new found appreciation for skills and mental makeup of our Gamer generation kids after watching this TED Talk. The core idea of C2PKids movement after all was about turning “technology consuming kids” into “technology producing kids” by providing them new skills to produce technology for others—games, apps, etc. I did not take into account that they brought some unique mental resilience skills developed as part being avid gamers. Don’t have stats to back up but a large portion of kids technology consumption is all about Games. We carry so much bias around online games playing kids— violence, obesity, sleep disorders etc. This TED talk brings totally different point of views–worth reflecting on.